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The United Nations estimates that 20 percent of all international travelers, over 200 million people, are under the age of 30. Travel is the new most wanted gift under the tree. With millions of high school and college grads considering a gap year and over 300,000 American students planning to study abroad next year, it’s easy to see why anything related to travel will turn you into a gift-giving champion. As this new wave of young people prepares for a much-anticipated adventure abroad and gift-giving season in full swing, consider the following list for that travel aspiring person on your list. Whether that gift is a thing, or an experience, the following list has something for every adventurous young traveler.

Our casts perform for people of all ages all across the globe, yet the most receptive audiences may be some of the youngest — elementary, middle, or high school students who have yet to make their mark on the world. Their ears are eager to listen, their eyes glimmer with hope, and their hands are ready to work to make the world a better place. The youth of Donaueschingen, Germany, were no exception.

Every day is full during an Up with People tour — full of travel, volunteer activities, and cultural experiences. It is an opportunity unlike any other. Twice per year, each fall and spring, young adults age 17-29 from a variety of backgrounds have the opportunity to travel the globe with our organization, bring positive change to the world and encourage others to do the same.

But what makes Up with People unique? Let's explore and breakdown how service, culture, and performance are just a glimpse of what makes Up with People different from other gap year programs.

It's not everyday you get to perform for the Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, but that's what a group representing Up with People has the chance to do in December when they travel to Rome, Italy to perform on the stairs of St Peter's Basilica in front of thousands of people as part of the Papal Audience, the pope's weekly morning address.

Music has the power to evoke emotion, bring us together and inspire action. That's why, for the past 50 years, Up with People has used music as a universal language to lead people toward positive change. To do so, our shows need to express a powerful message, but many people don't know what goes into creating that message.

"The magic isn’t the person holding the microphone, it's the tangible power of people from 20 different countries standing behind them singing the same message," says Eric Lentz, Senior Vice President of Up with People. The message we convey in our show needs to cross geographical, cultural, and religious boundaries.

As Up with People's cast finishes the Mexico portion of our world tour, members look back on the difference they made in the lives of the Mexican people. From raising thousands of dollars to help earthquake relief in Naucalpan to raising awareness about challenges for people with disabilities at Universidad Anáhuac Querétaro, our cast learned the importance of empathizing and helping people from all walks of life.

In Monterrey, the cast's last stop in Mexico before traveling to Germany, members helped rehabilitate a community center in a low-income neighborhood, participated in a culture fair at a local kindergarten, and painted murals at an area middle school, which you can see in the video below.

One of the best ways to really learn is through firsthand exposure. There's something about participating versus listening that makes a message more memorable and meaningful. That's exactly what our cast learned when they traveled to Querétaro, Mexico, where Universidad Anáhuac Querétaro served as a global classroom that helped our group truly understand inequalities through experiential learning.

In today’s competitive job landscape, an internship or assistantship may offer you the opportunity to stand out from the crowd. From professional networking to time management and teamwork, internships allow you the time to explore your passions and gain valuable skills before making an important career decision. While touring with Up with People, our cast members have the opportunity to not only learn about other cultures through singing and volunteerism, but also prepare for their professional careers through interning. Our internship and assistantship programs can help advance your resume and start/expand on your work experience.

As an organization, we strive to inspire others around the globe. When we heard about the devastating 7.1 magnitude earthquake that hit Mexico only two weeks before our cast was scheduled to visit, we knew we had to help in any way we could. So, we altered plans in order to make the biggest impact toward the relief efforts.

"This is a time when people are hurting and it's really good to have the cast here to help," says Misael Oliver, an Up with People Tour and Admissions Manager in Mexico.

Not everyone is ready to go to university right after high school...and that’s okay. In fact, taking a gap year before committing time and funds to higher education is becoming more and more common. While there are no exact numbers on how many young adults are opting for a gap year, the Gap Year Association says that interest and enrollment in gap year programs is growing substantially and they have seen gap year fair attendance increase by 294 percent since 2010. Just ask Malia Obama, daughter of Barack Obama, President Emeritus of the United States, who spent her gap year volunteering and visiting multiple continents before enrolling at Harvard.

That time in between schools is an ideal opportunity for your child to find their life’s passion, develop some real-world experiences, and plan for their future. Here are a few ideas for how your child can spend their gap year break before a post-secondary education.

Up with People is a global education organization which aims to bring the world together through service and music. The unique combination of international travel, service learning, leadership development and performing arts offers young adults an unparalleled study abroad experience and a pathway to make a difference in the world, one community at a time.Click here to learn moreabout the internationally acclaimed program, Up with People.